Republican frontrunner Donald Trump called a female reporter ‘beautiful’ moments after she quizzed him over his policy plans for racial inclusion.

Karen Attiah, the Washington Post’s Opinions Deputy Digital Editor asked Trump to comment on his controversial statements about Muslims and his Hispanic polling numbers, during a meeting between the billionaire Presidential hopeful and the newspaper’s editorial board on Monday.

Trump said: “Well, first of all, if you look at some polls that have come out, I’m doing very well with African Americans. I’m doing, actually if you look at the polls, a lot of the polls that came out, in the, um, what do they call it? Exit polls, like from Nevada and other places, I’m doing very well with Hispanics.”

He went on to defend his previous comments, after Attiah pressed him on his rhetoric, asking whether it could be “dangerous and divisive for this country”.

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Trump said: “I don’t think so. No, I don’t think so. With the Muslim thing I think it’s a serious problem. I’ve had Muslims call and tell me you’re right with the Muslim thing, I think it’s a serious problem. And it’s a problem that has to be addressed. I mean, there’s tremendous hatred. Even the, even the guy they caught in Paris. He was being hid out by other Muslims, and everybody is after him, and he’s living right next to where he grew up. There’s a serious, serious problem with the Muslims and it’s got to be addressed. It’s temporary, and it’s got to be addressed. And you know you may think of it as negative, many people think it’s very positive.”

After the meeting, Attiah thanked Trump for taking her questions.

As she wrote in the Washington Post later that day, the White House hopeful then ‘turned to me and said, “I really hope I answered your question,” and added casually with a smile, “Beautiful.”